Okay...the truth is I have several rhetorical questions but they really can be distilled down into one.
Can anyone tell me what exactly about the behaviour of North American Christians during the Christmas season actually reflects the Christ of Christmas, the story of Christmas or even the essence of our Christian values?
Is it our overeating? Is it how we spend our money? Is it our schedule of activity? Is it our brief time of organized worship during a Sunday service? Is it the process of shopping, wrapping, unwrapping, and then storing stuff we don’t need? Is it who we invite into our inner circle to celebrate with us? Is it how we live among and are available to our neighbours practically and spiritually?
I’m thinking that if we were honest with ourselves we would have to admit that there is not that much about our behaviour as Christians during Christmas that distinguishes us from everyone else. Notice I am using inclusive language here. I'm definitely included in this conversation.
Yet still we wonder why the world isn't attracted to Jesus. Why we aren't experiencing exponential growth like the early church. Perhaps it's because the world simply doesn't see Jesus in his "followers." Isn't this the perfect time of year to work toward changing that?
What do you think? How do you propose we follow Jesus this Christmas?
Pastor Gary
This year I actually celebrated Christmas with the King. I purposefully withdrew from all Christmas traditions. I stayed home alone and totally UNplugged. No phone and no computer, I actually pulled the cords out in order to make it more difficult for me in case I was tempted to check e-mails, listen to Christmas music and so on. My TV was unplugged, but it always is. I woke up and when I opened my bible to read it, it opened up to the 2nd Chapter of Acts, so I spent the entire day praying, reading, and meditating on the early church, and how powerful it was because the believers gave it all to God and to each other. How I long for a real body of believers, totally sold out to Christ and to each other.
ReplyDeleteAlso before Christmas I re-wrote an email that I'd seen in previous Christmas ... Remember my birthday, I emailed to my contacts and printed it out for people who don't have email. Gave it to some neighbours. And even made it into a flyer because one of the recepients asked me to make it so that it would be easy for copying.
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